GREAT FALLS — For years, Montana fighters chasing the UFC dream often had to imagine the path before they could see it.

Now that path is becoming easier to follow.

What began with Great Falls native Tim Welch building the Red Hawk Academy gym in Arizona helped Helena’s Sean O’Malley become Montana’s first UFC champion. Earlier this month, Great Falls’ Tommy McMillen added another milestone by winning his UFC debut.

Now, Valier’s Ty Curry and Butte’s Kyler Raiha are the latest Montana fighters following that blueprint.

WATCH: Kyler Raiha and Ty Curry chasing UFC dreams in Arizona

Montana’s MMA pipeline grows as Ty Curry, Kyler Raiha chase UFC dreams at Red Hawk

The two moved to Arizona together in November to train full-time at Red Hawk, where they now live together in one of O’Malley’s properties as they pursue UFC dreams.

Raiha said the path to Red Hawk began in Butte through family friend Kevin Maloney, a Butte police officer and close friend of his father, who had worked with Sean O’Malley’s father, Dan.

That introduction led Raiha and Dan O’Malley to stay in touch as Raiha’s fighting career progressed. After Raiha picked up a pair of early wins, Dan reached out with an opening that changed everything.

“He called one day and said, ‘Sean’s got an opening in his house. How serious are you about this fight life?’” Raiha said. “I said there’s no plan B, this is it. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Dan O’Malley said seeing Raiha’s journey come full circle has been one of the most rewarding parts of the growing Montana MMA network.

“Four years ago, Kyler got ahold of me and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to be at the fights in Great Falls. Is there any way we can meet Sean?’” O’Malley said. “And now today, Tommy McMillen comes down here to watch Tyler and Kyler fight. It’s just insane how tight-knit this whole group is.”

Curry made the move southwest alongside Raiha, and the two have helped make the transition easier on each other. They train together every day at Red Hawk, then keep the work going when they get home, holding mitts for each other after practice and helping one another through the daily grind of camp.

For Raiha, making the move with Curry turned a difficult leap into something manageable.

“It’s a big step,” Raiha said. “There’s some lonely moments, but when you’re down, you always got a guy to pick you up. He’s always in a good mood, honestly. If you’re dealing with something outside of camp, inside of camp, he’s always there for you.”

For Curry, the decision became easier because the path had already been proven by Montana fighters before them.

“You’ve seen what Sean’s done. You’ve seen what Tommy’s done this year,” Curry said. “That’s the goal. They’re laying the path, and it’s cool that they got to where they’re at. I think it’s just awesome that Montana’s doing well in MMA.”

That path was visible again Saturday night in Great Falls.

Just days after winning his UFC debut, McMillen returned home and cornered both Curry and Raiha at a Fusion Fight League card in Great Falls, where both fighters earned victories.

Raiha recorded a fourth round submission over Tony Garcia to improve his amateur record to 3-0, while Curry moved to 5-0 after a unanimous decision over Chad Stephens.

McMillen said helping the next wave of Montana fighters has become one of the most meaningful parts of his own rise.

“It’s been dope,” McMillen said. “We’ve had a couple more guys come out since I signed with the UFC.”

From Great Falls and Helena to Butte and Valier, Montana’s MMA blueprint continues to grow.

Now Curry and Raiha are hoping they’re the next names to follow it all the way to the UFC.